Improvement in life-boats



Q. DIGKENSO.N I Life-Boat.

No. 208,575 Patented Oct. 1, 1878.

f Y WITNESSES: mvmon:

5 VD BY I ATTIIBNEYS.

N.PETER5. FHDTO-LITHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES DIOKENSON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,575, dated October 1, 1878; application filed March 12, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES DIoKENsoN, of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Life-Boats; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention consists in provlding an ordinary ships boat with an attachment in the form of a removable cover or false deck, which, when applied thereto, will convert said boat into a life-boat having a chamber in which human beings or goods may be stored, protected, and safely transported to land in case of danger to the ship.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of a row-boat provided with a false deck or cover according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a central cross-section, and Fig. 3 a plan view, of the same.

The boat A has the usual construction of a ships row-boat. The detachable cover or false deck consists of the hollow, conical, hoodshaped portions (1 a, the curved connecting side pieces b, and the central longitudinal bottom 0. These parts a b c are rigidly connected, and thus form, practically, one integral part or piece. The bottom 0 has a central slot coincident with the well 01, in which the centerboard or false keel (not shown) is placed. Suitable packing will be employed to form a water-tight joint between the contacted parts.

This cover is of such size and proportions that when placed on the boatAits outer edge will be in contact with-the gunwale and form (by use of packing) a water-tight joint therewith. Suitable devices will be employed to secure the parts together and yet permit quick and convenient detachment of the cover or false deck when required. When the same is detached, the row-boat A may be used in the ordinary manner for ordinary purposes.

The inner or broad ends of the hoods a are vertical, or nearly so, and provided with manholes, which may be closed by means of valves or stoppers f.

In practice, when the danger is such as to call for use of the life-boat, the persons selected to go in it enter the man-holes and dispose themselves in the space g beneath the hoods a. a or, in case these spaces are insufficient, the space h beneath the boats thwarts may be occupied also.

Provision is made for supplying fresh air to the chamber g h by means of tubes i, having exterior funnels k. The tubes are arranged at the ends of the boat, and, following the lines thereof, terminate at the bottom of the curve, so that in case the boat is capsized water cannot flow through the tubes into the chamber g h, (unless the boat shall be completely submerged,) since the inner ends of the tubes will be above the water-line.

When conditions permit, the persons located in the chamber 9 It may emerge therefrom and occupy the thwarts e, connecting the sides I) of the false deck, and propel the boat by oars. A bar, m, traverses and connects these thwarts e, as shown. A reel, 0, with float-line 1' attached, is secured to the bottom 0 of the false deck. The hue is for use in hauling to the boat persons floating in the water. A pump, 1, is also provided for use in removing water from the boat should any chance to accumulate therein.

In practice, when a ship goes to sea, its boats will have the false or life deck attached thereto; but upon arrival in port the false deck will be detached, so that the boats may be used in the usual way.

What I claim is- 1. In combination with an open row-boat, the detachable cover or false (leek having the raised hoods a and longitudinal connectingpieces 11 c, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the boat A, the false deck having end portions a a and the inclined sides b b, the bottom 0 joining the lower edges and the thwarts 0 connecting the upper edges of the same, all constructed and arranged as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

CHARLES DIGKENSON.

\Vitnesses:

AMOS W. HART, 801.0: C. KEMON. 

